Deformable foot support for shoes



July 2, 1940. c. H. DANIELs DEFORMABLE FOOT SUPPORT FOR SHOES Filed Dec.24, 1935 Patented'July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in foot supports and shoes havingbuilt-in foot supports in which the foot supports are formed oi' orinclude material that is transformable upon heating, whereby the footsupports may be caused to receive and retain a foot impression.

I have disclosed in my application Serial No. 44,038 filed October 8,1935, and in Patents Nos. 2,092,909 and 2,092,910, "certain improvementsin l0 deformable foot supports which may be caused to receive and retaintoot impressions, and to serve as permanent supports for the individualfeet to which they are molded. For the most part, such prior disclosuresare directed to foot supports having fillers moldable at.normaltemperatures. i

A patent to-Lettermann 1,856,394, May 3, 1932 for Device for takingvfoot impressions, describes a device consisting of a flat chamberformed by an elastic envelope which is iilled with a molten c mass ofparaffin and wax. The foot is 'placed upon the chamber filled with themolten mass and the foot is kept in position until the mass hassolidified.

It is an object of my invention to disclose improvements in footsupports which are moldable at elevated temperatures and in particularthe foot support is made moldable or otherwise transformed by heatingfrom within the mass of filling 3 material or by external heating oi thefoot support from heating elements forming parts oi the shoes.

Speciiically, it is an object of my invention to incorporate electricalheating elements in thefoot supports or in the shoes,

A further object is the use of a flexible but inelastic envelope for thethermoplastic filling material instead oi an elastic envelope.

vAnother object is the use of metallic mem- 4 bers for the foot supportscomprising alloys Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the plane inudieeten :7 2 in Figi; and,

Fig. 3 is a cross section showing a modied construction.

The shoe disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 has the customary upper Ill lastedto the outsole I2 and insole il and having a heel I6 ilxed to the out- 5sole. A foot support comprising an envelope/ll and a iiller 20 is placedin the shoe immediately over the insole. Suitable heating elements suchas the electrical resistances 22 may be incorpo. rated in the footsupport to produce internal l0 heating of the illler, as in Figs. 1 and2, or the resistance elements may comprise the ribbons 2l laid betweenthe foot support and the insole, as in Fig. 3. In either case, suitableleads 20 are provided which may be connected toga battery u or othersource of electricity. 'I'he leads may be -v cut oil or covered up afteruse 'oi' the heatingv elements. A sock lining 24 is laid over the footsupport. The sock lining is preferably composed of insulating materialsuch as asbestos, or the e111- 20 velope of the foot support may includeasbestos or other insulation. According to my invention the fillingmaterial 20 vof the foot support is thermoplastic or oi' a compositionwhichis subject to a physical or a chemical change. upon 25 heating. Forexample, the material may be initially hard but capable oi beingsoftened and made moldable upon heating, or the material can beinitially plastic and moldable but capable oi being hardened uponheating. In either case. the structure disclosed provides for heating ofthe foot support in a convenient manner.

The illler for the envelope of the foot support l may comprisethermoplastic or fusible substances either alone or in mixtures witheach other or with inert nllers. It is preferable to use compositionswhich sotten to aplastic, moldable state at relatively low.temperatures. Such materials as glues, parains, waxes, rosins, gums,asphalte,

pitches, shellac, latex, etc. could be used. 4o

The filler for the foot support could comprise a composition that ismoldable at normal temperatures, but upon heating, such as by theelectrical heating means described, would be transformed tofa rigid bodyand retain a foot impression. For example, a mixture oi' rubber andhardening agents, such as sulphur, could be used as the iiller. Heatingeither internally or' externally would vulcanize the rubber to retain Ythe foot impression which is taken while the filler 2 aaoaoaa indiumwhich melts at a temperature of approximately 50 C. might be foundsatisfactory.

When a fusible metal alloy is employed the fabric retaining envelope isnot required as the metal alloy will be heated only suiciently to permitmolding by the pressure of the foot and not to a molten state.

A metallic foot support could be made composed `of a fusible alloyhaving a thin coating or shell of metal, which has a higher meltingpoint,

enclosing the fusible metal. Upon heating the interior of the footsupport would become soft and moldable and the external metal would besuiciently thin to permit iiexure under pressure of the foot.

Shoes constructed as above described may be fitted to the feet and Wornthe same as ordinary shoes, but when desired may be transformed toprovide a more perfect fit and support for the foot. Thus by heating thefoot support while the shoe is on the foot, the foot support will becomeplastic and moldable under pressure of the foot.

The heat will be insulated from the foot and prevent discomfort. Afterthe foot impression has been taken it will be retained upon cooling. Ifa different type of ller is employed the heating will cause hardening ofan initially moldable mass, and the foot impression will be retained oncooling.

The foot supports described above could, if desired, be placed betweenthe insole and outsole, especially if the insole is of lightweight,flexible material or has been perforated or slashed to make it moreexible.

The envelope is preferably composed of exible,

inelastic material usually fabric, but a thin flexible metallic envelopecould be made having a thermoplastic filler or the envelope could be ofan alloy which is rigid when cold but becomes moldable when heated.Instead of using electrical heating means, it is obvious that otherforms of heating might be employed, for example, the foot support orshoe could be made with a pocket to receive chemicals which wouldproduce sufficient heat to soften the thermoplastic filling material orthe fusible alloys of which the foot support is formed.

It should be understood that the foot support which is combined with theheating means comprises an envelope and a ller which is capable of aphysical change while heating. The physical change may be either from anormal, rigid state to a plastic moldable state which will permit afootimpression being taken, the filler then being permitted to cool andharden to retain the iinpression, or the filler may be initially in aplastic moldable state so that a foot impression may be taken, and uponheating capable of being transformed to a hard, rigid state to retaintheV foot l impression.

In the appended claims the wording thermoplastic ller is .intended tocover either form of filler, namely, a ller that is softened by heat torender it moldable and permit a foot impression to be taken and then isallowed to cool, harden and retain the impression, or a filler which isnormally moldable and is transformed by heating tofa hard rigid state toretain a foot impression.

I claim:

l.. A foot support comprising -an envelope, a thermoplastic llerretained by said envelope, and heating means within the envelope.

2. A foot support comprising an envelope, a thermoplastic fillerretained by said envelope, and` electrical heating means in saidenvelope.

3. A foot support comprising'an envelope of y heat insulation material,a thermoplastic filler retained by said envelope, and means forinternally heating the ller.

4. In a boot or shoe, an insole and a foot support associated therewith,said foot support comprising an envelope, a thermoplastic iiller, andinternal heating means.

5. In combination, a shoe, a heating element therein and a foot supportabove said heating element,said support including a thermoplasticfiller.

6. In a boot or shoe, a thermoplastic foot support laid over the insoleof the shoe, a soclr lining of heat insulation material laid over thefoot

